How many credits to take in graduate school each semester?

I am a new graduate student studying accounting this winter at my university. I have switch majors from law to accounting. I do not have an accounting background. My graduate advisors are telling me to take three 3-4 classes a semester. I am curious if this is a normal amount. How many classes did you typically take in graduate school? If someone could give me any pointers, I greatly appreciate it!

Without an accounting background, you will need to take more courses than someone who comes in with a BS/BA in Accounting (and can probably easily graduate in 1 year. Since you don’t have an accounting background, so you also need to take the prereqs (such as Accounting 1, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting). In other words, you will have to take more courses to graduate ‘on time’ (whatever that is).

Why not go thru the degree requirements and back-calculate the courses you need to graduate at the end of what, two years?

Are you in a masters or a PhD program?

I am in a Master’s program.

I’d follow @bluebayou’s advice, then. (If you were TAing 20 hours a week, and/or had waived tuition for a PhD, it would make more sense to take more than 2 years to finish). I mean, you need to understand it anyway. But you really want to lay out a 2 year plan. Also, remember that all courses probably aren’t offered all semesters, and some may have prereqs. I’d guess you may need to take 4 a semester. But you need to look at your school’s requirements and offerings.